Written answers
Tuesday, 12 December 2006
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Company Closures
11:00 am
Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 371: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that former employees at a company (details supplied) in County Limerick have received no redundancy payments other than their statutory entitlement; if he has satisfied himself that the company does not have assets other than the plant to enable them to pay redundancy; the steps he is taking to ensure that the redundant workers receive alternative employment at an early date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42942/06]
Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The company referred to went into liquidation in October 2006 and in accordance with the provisions of the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967 to 2003, lump sum payments were paid directly to 45 employees of the company concerned, in November this year out of the Social Insurance Fund. This Department is not in a position to say what assets the company has other than the plant. There are no legislative provisions in operation for this Department to compel the company to pay amounts over and above the statutory redundancy lump sums to redundant workers.
In a collective redundancy situation employers are required to notify the Minister at least 30 days before the redundancies commence. In this instance, as the company went into liquidation, no notification was received by the Department. In liquidation situations the person responsible for the affairs of the business need notify the Minister only where the Minister so requests. However, the local FÃS Office has been informed of the redundancies, as is the normal practice in collective redundancy cases. The resources of FÃS are available to all redundant workers. FÃS provides workers with information and advice and places workers on training programmes, which generally lead to further employment.
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